Around San Juan: Hotel meeting, Art and Antique Fair, more

June 11, 2014

Updated 12:41 p.m.

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A rendering depicts a 136-room hotel proposed for Camino Capistrano in downtown San Juan Capistrano. COURTESY OF URBAN VILLAGE DEVELOPMENT CO.

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Dave Faylor, the new president of the San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association, celebrates his win in the Best Beard contest at Fiesta Grande in March. FILE PHOTO: JEFF ANTENORE, FILE PHOTO: JEFF ANTENORE, CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHER

The San Juan Capistrano City Council will have a special meeting June 19 to consider a proposal to build a 136-room hotel and 33 townhomes at Camino Capistrano and Forster Street.

Mayor Sam Allevato said the meeting, two days after the regularly scheduled Tuesday council meeting, will give the council time to consider the proposal without being busy with other matters.

The Planning Commission voted 3-2 on May 27 to recommend that the City Council approve the development plan from Josh Host, principal and co-founder of Urban Village Development Co.

The land is owned by movie producer Steve Oedekerk.

– Meghann Cuniff

ANTIQUES TO JOIN ART FAIR SATURDAY

The new Second Saturday Art and Antique Fair opens Saturday in downtown San Juan Capistrano.

Up to 40 antique dealers will join the usual Second Saturday vendors on Yorba Street and in the Esslinger Building parking lot from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The California Art Club will host its quarterly painting event in conjunction with the fair.

– Meghann Cuniff

NEWSPAPER RACK SUIT NEGOTIATIONS CONTINUE

San Juan Capistrano Mayor Sam Allevato and Councilman Larry Kramer recently joined city attorneys to negotiate a possible settlement to a lawsuit over the city’s ban on newspaper racks at City Hall and the Community Center.

Allevato and Kramer were in Orange County Superior Court for a settlement conference Friday.

They’ll be back in court June 27 as negotiations continue.

City lawyers are working with lawyers for the Community Common Sense newspaper to end the lawsuit at the direction of Superior Court Judge James Di Cesare. Kim McCarthy and Kim Lefner, who own Common Sense, also were present.

City officials removed newspaper racks from City Hall and the Community Center in August, days after Common Sense placed a rack at the locations with copies of the publication, which often is critical of City Hall.

The racks are back under a court order, and city employees are considering a policy regarding their placement that will be looked at by the City Council.

– Meghann Cuniff

FIESTA ASSOCIATION NAMES NEW PRESIDENT

The San Juan Capistrano Fiesta Association has a new president.

Dave Faylor replaces Steve Weekes as leader of the group that organizes the city’s annual Swallows Day Parade and related festivities.

Faylor also is parade chairman, replacing Ben Dixon. Weekes remains on the board of directors as sponsorship chairman.

Eric Bergstrom replaces Jeff Schroeder as the publicity chairman.

Schroeder resigned from the group, as did Chris Jones.

Longtime board member Kathy Hooper resigned last year.

– Meghann Cuniff

ST. MARGARET'S STUDENT EARNS NATIONAL AWARD

A senior at St. Margaret’s Episcopal School in San Juan Capistrano has won a national award that honors student leaders who promote equality and justice.

Brandon Torres of Santa Ana will travel to New York City for the Nancy J. Lucas Memorial Award ceremony June 20. The award includes a $1,000 scholarship.

Torres enjoys writing, karate and “continuing on his spiritual journey through meditation,” according to a statement from Christopher Dennis, Los Angeles program manager for A Better Chance Northwest Region, which facilitates the award.

Torres will attend Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania in the fall.

Two other St. Margaret’s students, brothers Angel and Luis Ceballos, will be honored with $500 scholarships through A Better Chance.

They also will attend Swarthmore.

– Meghann Cuniff

VOLUNTEERS SOUGHT FOR 4TH OF JULY EVENT

The Community Services Department is looking for adults and older teenagers to help at the Fourth of July festival at San Juan Capistrano Sports Park.

Volunteers will work two to three hours between 2 and 8:30 p.m. monitoring lines, collecting tickets and helping children with inflatable structures and rides. Volunteers get a complimentary meal and reserved parking.

For more information, call 949-493-5911 or email hivanoff@sanjuancapistrano.org.

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